The 2022 CrossFit Open is almost upon us. While every year is special, there are a few additional reasons to keep an eye on things as the year unfolds. Here are four important details to look out for as we head into the 2022 CrossFit Open:
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1. Dave Castro is Out
This past year has brought a ton of changes to the CrossFit space. However, none of those changes impact the Open as much as the firing of Dave Castro. He was, in fact, the sole author of the CrossFit Open workouts, the host of the live announcements, and the guy giving us unapologetically misleading clues leading up to the live reveals.
With Castro out, how will that affect the Open workouts? Will they be easier, harder, or pretty much the same? Who will host the live announcements? Will the Open be the first clear sign that CrossFit is shifting away from the days of Pukie the Clown to a more inclusive and less grueling Open?
If one thing is clear, it’s that the community is split on this one. Some want things to stay the course, with Castro at the helm delivering workouts that crush the soul. Others are happy about the change – welcoming an Open that may cater more to the broader CrossFit community than the elite athlete. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what a new leadership means for the Open.
2. Wall Balls & Rowing Are Definitely Out
A few weeks ago CrossFit, Inc. revealed the equipment list for the 2022 CrossFit Games. Of notable interest is the fact that two movements that have historically been staples of the Open are being left out – wall balls which have been a part of nine of the eleven Opens to date and rowing, which has been a part of seven of the last eight Opens.
3. Athletes at Non-Affiliates Can Submit Scores Without Video
Are we going backward here? I get it, CrossFit Inc. wants to increase registration numbers. However, the leaderboard is already a place packed with questionable scores – to say the least.
In the past, if you performed a workout at a non-affiliated gym, you were forced to submit a video of your performance. This year, as long as your workout is performed with a registered judge, you no longer have to submit a video.
It’s hard enough to ensure workouts are done to standard at affiliate gyms. But, right or wrong, that’s the trust that was given to affiliates, their coaches, owners, and managers. At first glance, it seems extending this ‘trust’ to every garage athlete and globo gym-CrossFitter (no disrespect intended ????) is probably a bad idea. It’s not just inflated scores we need to worry about, its athletes performing the workouts to a lower standard than those set by CrossFit, Inc.
The bright side is that athletes who plan to move on to the next stage of competition (Quarterfinals) will still need to submit a video of one or more of their performances. Regardless, we’ll soon see how this change affects the leaderboard. Who knows, it might be fun to see a few unknown globo gym-CrossFitters at the top of leaderboard next to Justin Medeiros and Pat Vellner.
4. An Extra 5 Hours Each Week
This may not seem like a big deal, but depending on where you live, it kind of is – the Open live announcements, which happen on Thursdays, are moving from 8 pm EST to 3 pm EST. Why does that matter? In practical terms, it gives many athletes an extra day to do the Open workout. In the past, the Open announcement ended around 9 pm EST – too late for many athletes to go to the gym and do the workout. This year, the announcement happens early enough – especially on the west coast of the U.S., where it happens at noon – that athletes can watch the announcement, plan for the workout, and get to the gym for the afternoon class and do the workout.
Photo credit: CrossFit, Inc.
